


Do You Got Room For One More Troubled Soul?

by acindra



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 04:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11140869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acindra/pseuds/acindra
Summary: “Stop. Buying. Things. From. Japan. You. Idiot.”“You weren’t complaining when I showed you the hentai!” Rich protested, batting away Jake.(Mistletoe and the squip squad's Christmas party)





	Do You Got Room For One More Troubled Soul?

**Author's Note:**

> For someone who hates writing kissing, there sure is a lot of kissing in this fic.
> 
> I headcanon that Michael generally wears hoodies and sweaters unless he’s very very comfortable (or high) and would freak out or be very sensitive if his hoodie was suddenly not available to him. I used to be like that.
> 
> Something I thought I should clarify: I am aware Jeremy is Jewish. But I also am aware that he's the sort of nervous wreck that I am and that means if he's invited to a party with designated gift giving he isn't going to show up empty-handed, even if it's not his holiday. And from my own experiences in high school with holiday parties, I highly doubt that the squip squad (Jake, specifically) would think about the fact that Jeremy is Jewish. Unfortunately.

The first time, they didn’t know.

The air was crisp and cold when they arrived at Jake’s house. The house was decorated with colourful fairy lights and a lone reindeer perched on the edge of the roof.

“Looks like we’re early.” Michael said, noting the few cars parked outside. “Do you want to wait until more people arrive? Be fashionably late?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Nah. It’s just the squip squad and us this time.”

Michael fidgeted. “Are you sure it’s alright for me to be here, then? I’m not-”

“Of course you’re welcome. You’re my best friend.” Jeremy butted in, waving his hands like he could wave away Michael’s concern and unease.

“If you say so.” Michael said, doubtful, but he got out of the car just the same.

Jeremy nabbed his backpack from the backseat and slung it over his shoulder, shivering a little at the chill in the air. “I should’ve grabbed a jacket.” he mumbled.

Michael laughed. “Are you sure it would help? You’re a twiglet. Be the popsicle you know you are!”

Jeremy grumbled at him, shoving at his side.

“Bad touch! Bad touch!” Michael continued to laugh as he danced away from him.

“I’ll show you bad touch.” Jeremy threatened, chasing after him.

Michael headed up the path to the door and banged on it loudly. “Asylum, help!” He had to flee from the doorway before it opened, though.

When Jake opened the door it was to find Jeremy perched on top of Michael, mercilessly tickling him on the lawn.

“Dude, gay.” he surmised, shaking his head. He watched for a few seconds before calling out to them. “Hey, either get your asses in here or make out already! I’m letting out the heating!”

Jeremy relented, crawling off of Michael and standing up, offering him a hand up.

Michael eyed the hand distrustfully but took it anyways, then brushed the dead grass off of himself.

They made their way up to the door.

“Nerd boy.” Jake acknowledged, clapping Jeremy on the back. “Nerd boy two-point-oh.” he ushered them inside. “You’re name’s Mikey, right?”

“Michael.”

“Close enough.”

They didn’t get far into the foyer before they encountered Rich.

“Tall-ass! It’s good to see you alive and kicking.” he greeted. “And you brought headphones kid! Good. I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” he sobered a little. “Thanks for saving our lives, dude. You’re a star.”

“No problem?”

“Now, let’s party!” he exclaimed, pushing red solo cups full of what was presumable eggnog into their hands.

“C’mon Michael, let’s go put the presents under the tree.” Jeremy said, dragging him by the sleeve through the archway to the living room.

“We were supposed to bring-?”

They only got a few steps into the room before they bumped into an invisible wall.

“OW!” they said simultaneously, the eggnog sloshing precariously in their cups.

“What the fuck?” Jeremy rubbed at his face while Michael poked at the invisible barrier.

Rich was laughing on the other side of the archway. “I didn’t think that’d work!” he informed them.

Jake was looking at them like they had gone insane. “What happened?” he turned to Rich. “What did you do?”

Rich was still laughing but pointed up.

In the archway was a sprig of oddly shiny mistletoe.

“Rich-”

“It’s from Japan!”

As Michael muttered “Hay naku,” Jake took off his hat and started hitting Rich with it.

“Stop. Buying. Things. From. Japan. You. Idiot.”

“You weren’t complaining when I showed you the hentai!” Rich protested, batting away Jake.

“What is it.” Jeremy asked, sighing.

“It’s mistletoe, duh!”

Michael could feel a sinking feeling in his stomach; this wasn’t going to end well.

“Yeah I got that, I meant what does it do.”

“What do you think it does, genius? You gotta kiss!”

Jeremy and Michael glanced at each other, then turned away, blushing.

“That’s so gay.” Jake piped in.

“So?”

“What happens if we don’t?” Jeremy asked.

“Then you’ll be there. Forever.”

“I guess we gotta, then.” Michael whispered, turning to Jeremy.

Jeremy’s hands were suddenly clammy. “W-well. At least the girls aren’t here.” he reasoned, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He bit his lip. “Here take this back.” he said handing over the eggnog.

Rich also took Michael’s and both he and Jake looked at them expectantly.

Michael put a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder, pulling him down a little so they’d be level and pressed his lips against Jeremy’s quickly. “There. Painless, right?” he forced a laugh.

“Aw, lame. You gotta do a proper kiss!” Rich cajoled.

Jeremy was frozen in place, but Michael turned away and tried to escape the prying eyes, his face red.

Unfortunately, the mistletoe seemed to agree with Rich, as he bumped into the invisible wall again.

He refrained from repeatedly smacking his head against it, but it was a close thing. He didn’t want to have to confront his feelings now, of all nights, (or maybe ever) but it seemed the world was against him.

Jeremy had unfrozen and had his hand over his lips, a confused expression on his face. “You kissed me.” he mumbled.

“Man tall-ass, you’re pretty slow, aren’tcha?” Rich laughed.

Michael sighed, turning away from the invisible wall and back to Jeremy. “Once more, with feeling?” he asked, but neither of them laughed.

Jeremy fidgeted. “O-ok.”

They shuffled closer together awkwardly.

Jeremy brought his hands up to hold Michael’s face and leaned down to kiss him, mouth open slightly. His eyes fluttered shut. He knew he was terrible, but he made an effort to copy what he had learned from his minimal experience with girls.

Michael, for his part, was equally as terrible so he didn’t mind much.

Jeremy might have gotten a little enthusiastic and poked his eye with the edge of Michael’s glasses.

They were just getting to a point where the kiss was getting more comfortable and less awkward when the snapping of a camera shutter was heard. They broke away from each other and turned to see Jenna Rolan standing there, holding her phone with a big grin.

Peeking out from behind her were Chloe, Brooke, and Christine.

Jeremy’s entire face was blazing red.

Michael suddenly pushed past Jeremy and beelined to the bathroom.

“Michael?” Jeremy asked, chasing after him.

The door slammed in his face.

Michael locked the door behind him and sat with his back against it, his face in his hands. His emotions were overwhelming him, and tears welled up in his eyes as he listened and felt Jeremy banging on the door.

The residual feeling of Jeremy’s hands burned on his skin and he swore he could still just barely feel Jeremy’s lips on his. The worst part was, on top of his emotions, he had enjoyed the kiss a little... too much.

“Who the fuck gets turned on from a little kissing… with your best friend… that you’ve been in love with for years?” he mumbled to himself. “How lame can you get?”

He focused on willing away his erection and trying not to cry.

The banging stopped all of a sudden.

“Michael!”

His heart clenched at how desperate Jeremy sounded.

“I know you’re in there! I mean. Where else would you be it’s not like you can climb out the window.”

Michael eyed the tiny window across from him, thoughtfully.

Unfortunately Jeremy was right, so he wouldn’t be able to escape his problems that easily.

“Michael you can’t hide in there forever!”

He knew that was true. He took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to pull himself together.

“Talk to me, goddamnit. I don’t know what I did wrong! Was the kiss really that bad? I’m sorry! Just talk to me- please?”

Michael dragged himself up off the tiles and turned on the sink so he could splash some water on his face.

The coolness of the water helped push his feelings from the forefront of his mind. He pasted a grin onto his face then spent a couple seconds trying to make it not look so fake.

“I’m so-”

He opened the door and Jeremy fell onto him; he had been leaning against the door.

They collapsed in a heap on the tiled floor.

Michael scooched back and kicked the door closed. “We gotta stop meeting in this bathroom like this.”

“Michael! Are you ok?” Jeremy asked, scrambling off of him and helping him sit up.

“I’m fiiiine. I just had to pee, stop freaking out.”

Jeremy gave him the deepest disbelieving look he could manage. “Don’t lie to me.”

Michael shrugged. “Fine. Then don’t ask for things you don’t want to know.”

“I want to know.”

“You really don’t.”

“I’m your best friend, of course I want to know! I tell you everything!”

Michael snorted. “You do not. And before you start telling me things- I do not want to know things like- like- like who you jack off to or whatever.”

Jeremy blushed. “I wouldn’t-”

“Exactly.”

Jeremy frowned. “Wait are you saying you were-”

“NO! That was just an example. Get your mind out of the gutter for once in your life.”

Jeremy nodded. “Are you ok, though?”

Michael shrugged again. “I’m fine. See?” he said, patting himself all over. “I’m all in one piece. I’m sorry I freaked you out.”

“I was just worried.” Jeremy hugged him.

“I know.”

There was a pause for a few seconds while they hugged it out.

They pulled away from each other, smiling.

“Um.” Jeremy looked down and fingered at the hem of Michael’s hoodie.

“Spit it out.”

“Was- was the kissing ok?”

“I have literally no frame of reference to compare it to, so yes. Best kiss I’ve ever had.” He made a kissy face at Jeremy.

Jeremy pushed his face away.

There was a knock on the door. “Um. Are you two having sex in there? Only, I need to pee so if you could hurry it up.”

Jeremy hopped up and pulled the door open. “Why would we have sex in the bathroom?”

Chloe shrugged. “Don’t knock shower sex til you try it. Now get out.”

Jeremy offered his hand to Michael and pulled him up and they vacated the bathroom.

-

The second time it was an accident.

The boys entered the living room where the tree was.

And boy what a tree it was. It almost reached the top of the ceiling and was weighed down by strings upon strings of lights, tinsel, ornaments, and a twinkling star at the top.

They stopped to stare at it for a few seconds, awed.

There was no one else in the room, but voices were carrying out from the kitchen.

“C’mon let’s add the presents.” Jeremy said, crouching down in front of the tree. He dug into his backpack and started pulling out neatly wrapped gifts.

“I didn’t know I was supposed to bring any.” Michael told him, reaching into the bag to pull out more of the gifts.

“Don’t worry, I wrote that they were from both of us.”

“Oh, ok. Why is this one so heavy?” he asked, brandishing a large rectangular present.

“Oh that one is for Christine. It’s all of Shakespeare's plays.”

“It’s a book? Are you sure? It feels more like a lethal brick.”

“Then don’t go throwing it around.”

“What else did you get?”

“Well, I-”

Jeremy was interrupted by Rich coming through the archway, laughing and holding three cups.

“Hey! You’re out!”

“Have been for a few years now.” Michael joked, pointing to the rainbow patch on his left shoulder.

“Eyyy.” Rich gave off the distinct impression that if his hands were free he’d be making finger guns at them. He set down the cups he was holding on the coffee table next to them. “Those are yours.” he said, pointing to two of them. “Don’t know how well you hold your booze so we didn’t put a lot in.”

“Thanks.” Jeremy smiled up at him before finishing pulling out the rest of the presents.

Slowly the others trickled in, Chloe from the bathroom, and the rest one by one from the kitchen, being sure not to get caught under the mistletoe.

“So now that we’re here, what are we going to do?” Christine asked Jake, after everyone had settled around the coffee table.

Jake shrugged. “I don’t know, get high?”

Christine gave him a very disappointed look.

“Um. I actually brought a board game?” Jeremy suggested.

Everyone stared at him.

“What? I thought it’d be fun.”

Brooke took pity on him. “What game is it?”

“It’s called Carcassonne.” he said, pulling the game out of his bag.

Michael’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it’s a lot of fun! You have to place tiles and then meeple on the tiles that you want to count towards your point total. Tiles are worth more if they have landmarks and stuff. It’s named after a medieval town from France.”

“What the fuck is a meeple?” Jenna asked.

Jeremy popped open the box and picked out a small human-chalk-outline looking figurine.

And so they played Carcassonne.

In the end, the Chloe just beat out Jeremy’s score, much to his horror.

“I’m the King of Carcassonne!” she crowed, throwing both arms up into the air.

“That’s not really how it-” Jeremy started, but was silenced by her glare.

Michael stood up, stumbling slightly after having been sat cross legged for the hour or so of gameplay. He stepped over Jeremy and Brooke to escape the circle, then bowed low to Chloe. “My liege, would you like some more to drink?”

“Yes, thank you. At least someone respects my authority.” She said haughtily, handing Michael her cup.

“Eggnog is in the fridge door.” Brooke told him, helpfully.

“Rum is on the counter.” Jake chipped in.

Once they had finished clearing away the game, Jeremy excused himself to go put his backpack by the door so he wouldn’t forget it.

He smiled at Michael as they passed each other in the archway.

A few steps later they walked smack into an invisible wall on either side of said archway.

“Ow!” They exclaimed at the same time.

They turned to each other with identical looks of horror on their faces.

In the living room, the group turned their attention to the boys and burst out laughing.

“How did you manage to get caught again?” Jenna asked through her giggles.

Chloe hopped up and retrieved her and Michael’s drinks from him. She backed away so everyone could see the boys again, sipping at her drink.

Jeremy swallowed heavily, and Michael’s eyes tracked the movement.

What he would give to kiss his neck. But- he would get to kiss him again.

Unfortunately, the peanut gallery was a little hard to ignore as they progressed from laughter to catcalling.

“Well? Are you going to just stand there? Get on with it!” Chloe demanded.

“You can’t rush perfection.” Jeremy told her before he realized what he was saying. He slapped a hand over his face when he did.

Both he and Michael blushed.

“Perfection, eh? Is this why you didn’t want to have sex with me?”

“Please stop talking. You’re making this very-”

“Entertaining?”

“-hard.”

“Do I really need to say the obvious joke here?”

Jeremy sighed into his hand.

“With friends like these, who needs enemies?” Michael asked, sticking his tongue out at her. “C’mon.” he dragged Jeremy to the other side of the archway and back behind the wall where the majority of the others wouldn’t be able to see them. He leaned against the wall, awkwardly. “You ok?”

“Yeah, are you?”

Michael nodded. “Just. Nervous?”

“I feel that.”

Jeremy came closer and placed a hand on the wall beside Michael’s head.

Michael mentally cursed at himself as the thrill of it shot up his spine.

Jeremy leaned down to capture his lips, pressing his body against him.

Michael was startled by this, but was not complaining as he kissed back.

Jeremy pulled away after a few seconds, but Michael chased after him, cupping the back of Jeremy’s head and tugging him forward.

They kissed for a few seconds more before they broke away for air, making eye contact and then looking away, blushing.

Michael removed his hand from Jeremy’s curls, feeling very self conscious. He mentally berated himself- he had allowed himself to get carried away.

But god was it worth it.

There was a beat as they continued to avoid looking at each other.

“Um.” he said, looking down.

“Yeah?”

He tapped the hand Jeremy had not placed on the wall which had found its way to the drawstrings of Michael’s hood.

“Oh! Sorry.” he said, letting go and backing away abruptly. “I’m just gonna…” he gestured behind himself.

“Ok.” Michael took a deep breath and steeled himself for the comments the peanut gallery would make.

To his surprise, the others were all seated back around the coffee table, talking amongst themselves about the next school play.

Christine looked up and smiled, patting the space beside her where he had been sitting earlier.

Chloe grabbed his sleeve while he made his way over, handing him his drink. He smiled and stepped over Brooke to re-take his place.

Jeremy reappeared shortly after and joined the conversation seamlessly. He bumped his shoulder against Michael’s in greeting and he felt like maybe everything would be ok after all.

-

The third time was…

Once the conversation petered out, it was decided that they would open presents.

Jeremy’s (and Michael’s) presents were handed out first, since he was the last one to show up and put his gifts under the tree.

Rich opened his first and was confused to find a tank top that read ‘Both? Both. Both. Both is Good.’ in pink, purple, and blue text.

Michael’s eyes widened when Rich showed it to the them. “It’s the bisexual flag colours!”

“Ohh.” Rich grinned. “Thanks guys! You’re the best!”

Brooke received a stuffed puppy. She smiled at Jeremy.

“I figured, you always get stuffed cats-”

“But no one ever gets you a stuffed dog.” She finished.

Christine was ecstatic to receive her book and immediately started reciting random passages to herself. She leaned over to hug Michael since he was closest, barely keeping her excitement in check.

Jake got a pair of pink shutter sunglasses which he immediately put on (and refused to take off for the rest of the night).

Jenna’s gift was a journal, which she seemed confused by.

“I figured since you know everything, you might like something to put your thoughts about everything in.” Jeremy told her, sheepishly.

“That’s a really sweet and thoughtful gift, Jeremy. Thank you.”

Chloe’s gift was a makeup kit and a set of sparkly nail polish.

“Switch places with me, Brooke.” She demanded, heaving herself out of her armchair and gracefully sitting on the floor next to Jeremy. “What colour do you want?” she asked, opening the package the nail polish was in.

“He wants red.” Michael chimed in.

“Red it is!”

“Ah! Hang on.” Jeremy stalled as she grabbed his closest hand. He pulled another gift from under the tree and handed it to Michael.

“But we always give gifts the day after Christmas.” Michael protested, flipping the small rectangle over and wondering what it was.

“I know, and we will. This is just something extra I thought you might like.”

Michael opened it to find a cassette tape with no label. “What’s on it?”

“That’s for you to find out- later.” Jeremy told him, winking.

“Yes, yes, enough flirting. You guys can make out later.” Chloe said, rolling her eyes. “Hands.”

Jeremy obediently gave her his hands.

They continued to open presents.

The first time someone (who wasn’t Jeremy) handed Michael a gift, he was dumbfounded. It made his heart feel warmed that he was included in the group.

“Well? Open it!” Rich egged him on.

Inside was a CD of some obscure band he had never heard of. The other gifts were much the same, for both Michael and Jeremy; music and a couple old school video games.

The only outlier was their gift from Christine.

“It’s for both of you.”

Jeremy ended up opening it, because Chloe had moved on to painting Michael’s nails by that point (navy blue, if you were wondering).

Inside the little box were two necklaces, the pendants being a pacman and a ghost. The pacman had ‘player one’ etched inside of it and the ghost had ‘player two’.

“I saw it at the store and I just figured- cuz you both have the pacman tattoo. And Jeremy sometimes calls you his player one and-”

“Dude, that is awesome!” Michael exclaimed. “Put it on me, put it on me!”

Jeremy had the biggest smile on his face as he waved Michael away. “Alright, alright. Keep your pants on, jesus christ.”

It took him a few seconds to untangle them, but it wasn’t long before he was slinging the pacman necklace around Michael’s neck and then the ghost around his.

“Thank you, Christine! These really are wonderful.” he said, running a finger over the etched words.

Christine beamed at him.

Eventually all of the presents were opened and they cleared away the wrapping paper debris.

“This has been a really fun night.” Christine remarked, playing with the fidget spinner Jenna had gotten her.

There was a chorus of agreement.

“I really-” Brooke started, but was interrupted when the fidget spinner flew out of Christine’s hand and knocked over her drink, spilling it all over Michael.

“Ah!”

Both Michael and Jeremy bolted up, tripping over Brooke in their rush to get to the bathroom.

“Quickly, take it off.” Jeremy demanded as soon as the door was closed, turning the faucet to the sink on.

Michael tugged it off and handed it over to Jeremy, who quickly started scrubbing at the spill.

“Go over there.” Jeremy said, waving over to the other side of the bathroom and staring very hard at the hoodie. “I won’t look on purpose, but I might on accident so…”

“It’s ok.” Michael said, coming closer. “I don’t mind. If it’s you.”

Jeremy looked up in surprise. “R- really?” he asked, averting his eyes again.

“Really.” Michael smiled as Jeremy forced himself to look at Michael. He steeled himself. “There’s actually... a lot of things I don’t mind, if it’s you.”

Jeremy finished washing the eggnog out of Michael’s hoodie and hung it over the shower curtain rod so it could dry. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, turning to stare questioningly at Michael. He felt like he was being given a gift, seeing Michael only in his white undershirt.

Michael swallowed; was he ready to do this?

Jeremy looked sincerely curious and he already had his foot in the door.

Time to hurl the rest of his body through it.

“Things like when we sleep in the same bed and I wake up to you being an octopus-”

Jeremy pouted. “I can’t help that.”

“I know. Things like holding your hand when we watch scary movies.”

Jeremy ran a hand through his hair and made a vague noise.

“Things like… like kissing you under the mistletoe.”

“What- what are you saying, Michael?”

He took the plunge. “I’m saying that I like you. In a more-than-friends way.”

Jeremy scanned Michael’s face. “You’re not joking, are you?”

“Why would I joke about this?”

“I don’t know- I just am having a hard time believing this is real.”

“Well. It is. I like your lame ass, Jeremy Heere.”

Jeremy grinned and turned slightly to show him his butt. “It is a nice ass, isn’t it?”

Michael shoved at him lightly. “It really is, though. Sometimes I dream about-”

“Ah!” Jeremy clapped a hand over Michael’s mouth frantically.

Michael licked the hand over his mouth and wiggled his eyebrows when Jeremy pulled it away.

Jeremy wiped his hand on his jeans, grimacing.

“You don’t hate me, right?”

Jeremy’s eyes softened around the edges. “I could never hate you, Michael.”

Relief flooded through him.

“Especially not when I like you, too.”

Michael blinked, hardly believing his ears. “You what?”

Jeremy shuffled closer. “I like you, too.” He repeated, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Can I kiss you again?”

“Yeah.” Michael replied breathlessly, going on his tippytoes as Jeremy leaned down.

They met halfway. Unlike the other kisses, there was no pressure and no prying eyes. They kissed lazily, smiling, enjoying the feel of the other against them.

When they finally broke away, Jeremy rested his forehead on Michael’s. “Thank you for telling me. I don’t think I would have had the courage to tell you otherwise.”

“I’m sure we would have figured it out eventually.” Michael said, optimistically.

“Yeah… but now we don’t have to.” He pulled away, and glanced at Michael’s hoodie. “Do you want me to go get your spare hoodie from the car?”

“Could we just leave instead?”

“Sure.”

Michael parted from Jeremy reluctantly, and pulled on the wet hoodie, grimacing as the cold, wet part made his undershirt damp.

They exited the bathroom.

“Oh, I have an idea.” Jeremy whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Guys, we have to tell you something.”

Everyone turned to look at them.

Jeremy grabbed Michael’s hand and nodded his head towards the archway to the foyer.

They walked over and deliberately stood under the mistletoe. They kissed to the sounds of their friends cheering.

The first time they didn’t know.

The second time it was an accident.

The third time was an announcement.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this fic, please check out the other 30 BMC fics I've written! 
> 
> Carcassonne is possibly the only non-alcohol based game I’ve ever played at a party. I thought about making them play Ring of Fire or something but wanted to stick with eggnog as drink of choice.
> 
> What do you think the other gifts they got each other were?
> 
> Art by [ K8lex! ](http://acindra.tumblr.com/post/162284281445)
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr ([ acindra ](http://acindra.tumblr.com))- I also made a crocheted doll of [ Michael! ](http://acindra.tumblr.com/post/161391774925)
> 
> [ Bonus George Salazar and Michael!Doll pic ](https://twitter.com/georgesalazar/status/880209460962185216)


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